My cat’s litter box

Materials: FAKTUM and SAMLA

Description: Using FAKTUM kitchen cabinet for my cat sand box, their utensils and also to store food. One of the shelves make a separate section for his food storage. I removed the cabinet base so that my cat can come and go, to use the SAMLA sandbox.

Using a drill and a drill bit I made the holes to put the food and water bowls, plus I made a cushion to lie in the sun in winter. I put his name up in vinyl.

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Jules IKEAHacker "I am Jules, the engine behind IKEAHackers and the one who keeps this site up and running. My mission is to capture all the wonderful, inspiring, clever hacks and ideas for our much loved IKEA items".

Oh and also, I love how you put Jazz’s name on it with the letters not in a straight line. And I also really like how that although it is a covered box, it has a really wide opening at the front so it can ventilate better!

Cool idea in theory. Looks great and easy for humans but not so attractive for cats. I am a cat behaviorist. Have been for over 20 years now. Others have mentioned about cats not liking to eat where the pee/poop and it is true but if it works for you, the great. I wouldn’t recommend it though as it can lead to eliminating outside the box.

More importantly to me though is how far the cat needs to bend down to eat and drink. It is hard enough for a cat to bend down to the floor, but you have put the top of the bowls at floor level so the cat needs to bend down BELOW the floor to eat and drink. You can imagine how uncomfortable that must be! It would be similar to if you were standing on your feet and having your dinner plate and drinking glass placed on a dining room chair! Besides being an unnatural position and being uncomfortable, it could lead to digestive upset – regurgitating food. Especially as the cat ages. The actual best position for a cat to eat/drink is with raised bowls, however they should at the very least be at floor level and not below.

The lowered water- and food bowls is not a good idea either. Some cats who are not feeling well have problems putting their head low, it makes them dizzy. In contrary, it is better to lift to bowls up a few cm’s.

For as long as Ive owned cats (off and on over 20 years), none have enjoyed eating in the same area as their litter box. Ive also had quite a few cats that didnt like their water near their food. Just like humans, cats can be unique and quirky, and obviously some cats may not care if their food is shoved right in their litterbox! Nice little hack; hope it’s making your cat happy. If it works, it works.

I understand peoples desires to put all of their cats “requirements” in one little corner, for their own aesthetic benefit, and due to lack of space. I like to make my cats move around from one thing to another, to make sure I dont end up with overweight cats. The benefits of not living in a small apartment, I suppose!

Well by now you realize that kitty does not like to eat and poop together. This must be your first cat. The Cat/Genie is the best I have found so far really cuts the smell and makes the whole removal better for all.

Valid points, but cats are individuals too, and sometimes whatever a particular cat is used to will override their natural instincts. We have two cats, and a very small house. Their food station is a mat with two food bowls and two water bowls on either side. This is not a problem for them, so there goes that theory. Their enclosed litter box, out of necessity, is situated approximately three feet from their food station. This is not a problem for them either. Credit to the hacker for coming up with a nice solution that worked for them, and hopefully it will work for Jazz too!

Would love to this for my cat! I agree with above comments about the food though! Cats are very picky about where they eat & toilet and anyone who knows a cat would know they would not enjoy it together!! I’m sure if they had no choice, they’d have to get used to it though. Thanks for the idea anyway!!

Poor cat! Cat are super sensitive when it comes to be clean and tidy, go to the toilet and choose a place to eat! Sure, every cat is different from another but never ever put the food next to the litter box. As poster #1 already said, you also won’t eat on the toilet or have the toilet in your kitchen, right?Oh, and just in case you ask for references, here you go: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cat+litter+box+not+next+to+food

I like the hack, not much in handiwork, easy enough for me.. but I wouldn’t use it for the cat’s food with the litter box. The idea of putting a cushion on top of it is a good idea. I just may do this.

It’s a nice, tidy solution and, since the litter box is enclosed and the food and water are on top, your cat will probably do just fine. Food and water side by side have never posed a problem in my 30+ years of being owned by a cat.

That’s right. They own us humans . Food near water is not a problem but cats have a sense of smell so strong that isn’t good to have that toilet near the food, even if the cat toilet is super-clean. This is not to “humanize” the cat’s action – this is called HYGIEN.

If you think about how cats clean themselves, for example after having been to the toilet, you will find that the spatial proximity of toilet and food is probably something the cat will not worry about. Unless you never clean the litter box and it stinks to high heaven, that is. Don’t humanize animals to this degree and don’t patronize other people to this degree, please. I am sure Miguel will see if his cat uses the box and the food bowls or not.

“By nature, cats don’t even like having their water near their food, because rotting meat will infect the water.” I’d love to see a source on this. I’m always way of statements that begin with “By nature, X don’t *like*…”

“Obviously they have to overcome this instinct in a domestic setting, but they still don’t like it.” This happened a long time ago as cats are not new on the domesticated-animal scene.

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